Pastor David Nuottila is a second career graduate of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina. He was ordained into the office of Word and Sacrament on July 26, 2008 at Messiah Lutheran Church in Hanahan, SC. Bishop David Donges was the presiding minister for the ordination.
On Sunday, July 27, 2008, Pastor Nuottila began his ministry as Pastor at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Charleston, SC. As part of his call to St. Barnabas, Pastor Nuottila also served as the Lutheran Campus Minister at The Citadel. During his time at St. Barnabas, Pastor Nuottila was very active in the community ministering to the large homeless population surrounding the church. Pastor Nuottila also led his congregation in forming a food pantry through which groceries, winter coats, clothing and health kits were made available to those in need. In 2008, Pastor Nuottila also began publishing daily and monthly devotions on his personal blog. This is a ministry that continues, and several of his devotions have been published by Lutheran Digest, The Disciple-Ship, NALC Mission and various Christian blogs around the world.
In September 2009, Pastor Nuottila became a member of the
Steering Committee for a group of pastors and laypersons who opposed the tragic decisions made by the 2009 ELCA Church-Wide Assembly. He served in this capacity for two years, and in December of 2011, resigned from this group and also the South Carolina Synod.
In January of 2012, Pastor Nuottila began his second call at Union Lutheran Church in Salisbury, North Carolina. As a pastor in the newly formed NALC, Pastor Nuottila began working to build the Youth and Men’s ministries for the Carolinas Mission District. During this time, Pastor Nuottila led a series of Youth Retreats for youth groups throughout the Carolinas. He also led his congregation in hosting annual youth events such as the Advent Ball. A highlight in youth ministry is that Pastor Nuottila teamed with Pastor Carl Haynes (Christiana Lutheran Church, Salisbury) to form an all NALC Confirmation Camp Cluster of at least ten congregations at Lutheridge in Arden, NC.
In April of 2013, Pastor Nuottila organized a group of lay volunteers to begin building a Men’s Ministry for the Carolinas Mission District. In February 2014, a gathering of Lutheran Men was held in Gastonia, NC where Carolinas Lutheran Men adopted its provisional constitution and selected a leadership committee. Pastor Nuottila agreed to serve as Chaplain for the group.
During the annual Mission District Convocation in 2015, Pastor Nuottila was runner-up in the voting for Dean of the Carolinas Mission District. With the Rev. Dr. Nathan Yoder elected, Pastor Nuottila was elected to fill Pastor Yoder’s vacated seat on the Mission District Executive Council. In this capacity, Pastor Nuottila became a member of the Carolinas Mission District Missions Committee. He also became a member of the Communications Committee and editor of the Carolinas Mission District website. Pastor Nuottila served two terms on the Executive Council and also as Assistant Dean for the Carolinas Mission District. He continues to chair the Mission Team and Communications committee.
In November, 2017, Pastor Nuottila accepted a call from St. Jacob’s to be their pastor and began his ministry there on December 1st. At the onset of this ministry, Pastor Nuottila began leading Bible studies, teaching confirmation students and making plans for the beginnings of a Discipleship program. In addition, Pastor Nuottila has instituted the beginning of a Children’s Choir program and is busy finding ways in which St. Jacob’s can establish a greater presence within the community.
A hallmark of Pastor Nuottila’s ministry is his ongoing mission work with the Lutheran Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pastor Nuottila began working with fellow NALC pastor Stéphane Kalonji as a missionary to the Congolese cities of Kinshasa, Boma and Matadi. Traveling to Congo every other year, Pastor Nuottila provides theological training for pastors and lay leaders and leads Christian education seminars for Women and youth members of the church. There are two activities in his mission work that are especially gratifying. One such ministry is feeding orphaned children in the care of the Congolese Lutheran Church. The other is to provide funds to “free” babies and mothers who are detained because of unpaid fees.
Currently, Pastor Nuottila is enrolled in a Doctor of Ministry program at St. Paul Lutheran Seminary in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. His goal is to publish a series of articles or a book to be used as a resource for family ministry and pastoral counseling. His anticipated graduation date is the Spring of 2020.
Pastor Archive
Pastor David Celebrated his tenth year of Ordination Anniversary of Ministry in the Carolinas on July 29
Posted August 30, 2018 By adminConfirmation Instruction
Posted August 30, 2018 By adminConfirmation instruction for our youth members in grades 7-9 who have not been confirmed will resume on Sunday, September 9th in the Fellowship Hall. Our classes will meet at a new time, 3:00 pm and in a new place, the Youth Sunday school room. Our first session will begin with a meeting of all students and parents. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending.
Lemonade Talk
Posted August 30, 2018 By adminMark your calendar to join Pastor David in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, September 2nd for his Lemonade Talk. We will see you immediately following the service.
From the Pastor’s Heart
Posted July 31, 2018 By adminJesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink
his blood, you have no life in you. John 6:53
Each week, as a family of faith, we gather in worship around God’s Word and Sacraments. The Word is the gospel through which faith is passed along. The
Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion are the means by which God imparts His grace through faith. Simply put, we receive the good news of Christ in our hearing, and then we receive the benefits of this good news through water, bread and wine connected to God’s promise of salvation.
As sinners, we are not worthy to gather in God’s house on our own. We do not deserve to come to His table of grace as a result of our own actions. Yet, thanks be to God, we are made worthy through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us through the blood of Christ, extends
forgiveness of sin and nourishes our faith through Christ’s very body and blood.
Realizing this, the hearts of Christians are filled with joy as we partake of this heavenly food. Still, there is a disturbing trend that has emerged within the Christian Church.
As congregations gather, we do so as people who have busy lives and full schedules. We are also a part of a society that seeks fulfillment in earthly endeavors. We compartmentalize nearly all aspects of life and fit those into convenient blocks so as one will not encroach upon another. When one activity spills over into the next, something must give, and so we move on. It even happens in worship on Sunday morning.
Over the years, I have noticed more and more
Christians leave worship immediately following their receiving Holy Communion. Other pastors have
encountered this same behavior. For me, this points to two things. The first is that worship was not the highest priority for the day. The second is that there is a lack of understanding of the Eucharistic movement in worship.
On the heels of our sermon series of the Ten
Commandments, we will recall that God said, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” God
provides one day in seven for His people to rest from their labors and to be refreshed by His Word of grace. As humans, we need this time apart from earthly demands. As sinners, we need this time for repentance, confession, absolution and renewal. To rest in the Word and promise of God is to forsake earthly timetables and gather with the faithful to be strengthened by God and through one another.
The Eucharistic movement within our
service beckons us to follow our Lord’s
invitation to the table and receive the feast of forgiveness and life. As invited guests, we should come with great reverence and respect for Christ our host. We enjoy the company of fellow Christians saved through the sacrifice of our Lord and
Savior, tasting His goodness and basking in His mercy and love. To suddenly get up from the table and leave before the meal has ended robs worshipers of hearing the blessing of Christ and the benediction (good words) our Lord rains over His
children. Just as we desire for guests at our table to remain and enjoy the benefits of our friendship, God enjoys the fellowship of His people as they remain until all are fed and blessed with His love.
The human may say these are just words, but the sinner longs to hear this blessing for it is music to a sin-sick soul. My prayer is that we all enjoy the meal of God’s grace together. Gathered as a family of faith, I pray we savor the joy of our life together and share in the blessing of our Lord’s love for His
children.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Following Christ
Posted July 31, 2018 By adminMatthew 16:21-28
I am sure most people have played “Follow the Leader.” It is a simple game, but it can become quite complicated if the leader heads in a direction the rest of the players do not want to go. Would you follow the leader if he walked along the edge of a steep cliff? Seeing such a path filled with extreme challenges is a stumbling block, especially if following the leader means giving up all you have and heading to Jerusalem to be killed for the sake of others. But that is exactly what Jesus did and he calls people to follow him along this same path.
Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Our Lord calls his people to be living sacrifices, unselfishly denying ourselves, placing the needs of others ahead of our own. Only when we do this can we truly say we are following our leader.
There are many false leaders in this world. They sway would-be followers making empty promises not ever intended to be kept. These imposters cannot forgive sins, heal our infirmities, or grant us everlasting life. Following Jesus brings forgiveness and grace. Trusting in him only opens the gates of heaven to all who believe.
Prayer: Holy God, help us to follow your Son as he leads us along the path of righteousness. Amen.
From Pastor David’s devotional blog “In the Beginning” http://in-the-beginning.org
10th Anniversary of Pastor Nuottila’s Ordination
Posted July 31, 2018 By adminOn July 26th, 2018 Pastor Nuottila celebrated the 10th Anniversary of his Ordination. The St. Jacob’s Family celebrated his anniversary with a reception in his honor on Sunday, July 29th. Pastor, we are so proud of your accomplishments and know this is a special time in your life. Thank you for all that you do for our church family and for your dedication to the Congo Mission.
Next newsletter, we will have more detailed information on Pastor and pictures of our celebration.
Congo Mission
Posted July 31, 2018 By admin
St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church Homecoming August 26, 2018
Posted July 31, 2018 By adminJoin in on our upcoming Homecoming celebration.
The Reverend Dr. David Wendel will be our Guest Pastor during Worship!
Our Homecoming meal will follow the worship service. Bring your favorite side dish and dessert. BBQ, fried chicken and tea will be provided.
Join us as we celebrate our first homecoming with Pastor Nuottila and family!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
From the Pastor’s Heart
Posted July 1, 2018 By adminAnd [Jesus] said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Mark 4:21-23
At the onset of my seminary instruction, I wasn’t accustomed to leading the liturgy during worship. I’ve never been a musician and to this day I do not read music or play any sort of instrument. Still, I dearly love leading the congregation through the sacred music of liturgy. Yet, in the beginning such was not the case.The first time I was scheduled to intone the liturgy, my supervising pastor suggested that I run through everything a few times with our music director. Since this particular congregation had lay members who served as assisting ministers, this was a normal occurrence, so off to the music director’s office I went.
Following a few vocal warm ups, the organist played the piano as I sang rather quietly through the six verses of Psalm 1. Truthfully, I needed to work at overcoming my self-perceived lack of ability. Tom helped build my confidence; he encouraged me and made me work through my fears. It wasn’t long until I rather robustly sang out the entire Kyrie and Hymn of Praise in the solitude of
his office. I was feeling much better about my task for the morning and decided to tackle the Psalm one more time before practice was over. After singing the Psalm one last time, my supervising pastor bolted into the room and asked if I would please turn off my wireless microphone. Little did I know that, for about fifteen minutes I had been serenading the group gathered for prayer in the
church Nave.
As I look back on this event, I realize, had I known the microphone was switched on I would not have made such a public display. Rather, I would have quickly switched it off and sheepishly got on with my practice. Instead, I was able to boldly share the good news of God’s saving grace. Even if my voice is not on par with those of qualified musicians and vocalists, there could be no denying that the power of God’s grace through his Son Jesus Christ was heard. Jesus asks his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?” Certainly not! God blesses the Church with the most precious treasure there is, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each baptized child of God is therefore called to give witness to the wonders of God’s mercy and grace by sharing this gift with the world. Within the baptismal rite of the Lutheran Church, we quote Jesus’ words when we exhort the newly baptized to “Let your light shine before others
so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
In a world fallen into sin and broken beyond human repair, the only hope for salvation comes through Christ and believing that through him, God indeed keeps his promises. Jesus of Nazareth is light and life for the world. Baptized into his death and resurrection, the light of Christ dwells within God’s people. Jesus calls each of his children to share their faith, to be of loving service to their neighbor and to proclaim the power of God’s saving grace. My prayer is that you won’t be timid in doing so. Be bold! Overcome the fears of speaking the truth of Jesus with others, realizing that you are enabled with the gift given through the Holy Spirit of God. If you don’t know how, or you feel you lack the ability, come see me and just as Tom helped me, I’ll help you work through your doubts. In Baptism, the light of your faith is ignited. Shine your light so that through the darkness of the world, all may finally see the glory of the Father and at last enter the gates of our eternal home.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Pastoral Devotion for July
Posted July 1, 2018 By adminJesus Said “Go!” Read – Matthew 28:16-20
When we hear our Lord give the Great Commission, we understand finally that our response to Christ’s resurrection is to go into the world and tell others the good news of God’s salvation. Most Christians can quote this passage from memory; those who cannot certainly know where to find it in the Bible. But when congregations hear Christ’s command, the reaction can be varied.
As the remaining disciples gathered on the mountain with Jesus, Matthew tells us they worshiped him, but some doubted. Rest assured, the same condition exists within the Church today. Jesus says, “Go.” Yet, some doubt they are strong enough in their faith. Others doubt they have the necessary knowledge of the scriptures. Still others feel they lack the training and skill needed to make disciples. All this said, the command given by Jesus stands. Our Lord says, “Go.”
As followers of Christ, we are to go into the world teaching all Christ commanded. The good news is that we do not go alone. Jesus is with us just as he was with the apostles so long ago. Finally, doubt and fear are overcome with faith and love. Christ said “Go.” And so we go, remembering Christ is with us even to the end of the age. Prayer: Lord Jesus, overcome our doubts and help us live in your peace and presence. Amen.
From Pastor David Nuottila’s blog In the Beginning http://in-the-beginning.org
